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Summary: Gin died. But, he was reborn, without the memories of being a Shinigami. The thing is, no one tells you when you'll be reborn. So when Yuzu befriends a silver-hair boy with a sly smile, it's the start of a friendship that will become her greatest comfort for when times get rough. Slight AU, I guess. Writing challenge with Night-of-Mares


**A/N:** Hey people! So, here's a brand new one-shot for you! It's a writing challenge with **Night-Of-Mares** (who has some amazing stories, you should head over there and read them all!) for Bleach. I'll be honest – I didn't have the slightest clue as to how I would pull this one off, but I guess I managed to do it, lolX3 So, without further ado, I present to you my first (and definitely not last) Bleach fanfic! Read, review, and enjoy! I hope you like it, **Night-Of-Mares**! And I apologize for the extremely long waitX3 I feel like such a chop:3

P.S. I hope I got Gin's accent ok – I watch the subbed anime and it's kinda difficult to pick up an accent from subtitles:3

 **Bleach**

Fanfiction

Disclaimer:

I do not own Bleach, or any of the characters, comics, anime or dialog etc. The rest of the characters and ideas are mine. Enjoy and please review!

 _'As Gin died, he is of course reborn without the memories of SS. Thing is, no one tells you when you'll be reborn. So when Yuzu befriends a silver-hair boy with a sly smile, it's the start of a friendship that will become her greatest comfort for when times get rough.'_

This came to me when I saw all the crap Yuzu was going through (she worries for her family, her gullibility might get her mocked and tricked a lot, not sure really about that, though it is possible she is bullied. And then there is the fact she was kidnapped and taken to hell itself! she needs someone in her corner.). If you could make reborn!Gin protective/overprotective, that would be great. Hope you like it.

Yuzu Kurosaki sighed heavily, letting her school bag slip from her fingers and fall to the ground. She hung her head sadly, and scuffed her shoes as she sunk down onto the swing in the empty park. Sure, it was late afternoon, and she _should_ have been home making dinner, but her older brother, Ichigo, was out with Orihime, Sado, and Uryuu again, doing _what_ they did; Karin was out playing soccer and was sleeping over at a friend's house, and her father was working late at the clinic, and insisted she take the day off from helping out. Yuzu sighed again, wrapping her small hands around the chains of the swing, using her feet to rock her back and forth. She had thought – even dared to hope – things would be different once she went to prep school, but apparently not.

The others still teased her, still pushed her around like they always had. She was gullible, she knew that, and naïve too – her constant belief that people were inherently good and kind _always_ got her into the most awful situations. Yuzu blinked back the sting of tears threatening to come. She hadn't told her family yet – she wouldn't know where to start. She didn't want the other kids at school to think she needed protecting. _But what if I do? What if I really_ do _need protecting?_ a niggling little voice whispered. Yuzu closed her eyes. She had been through too much recently, and she didn't even want to _begin_ thinking about it. She would just have to shoulder all her hurts and carry on as normal.

"Ya don't look ta good – y'alright?"

Yuzu jerked upright, looking straight at a silver-haired boy her age, his eyes closed and a frown on his face as he waited for her answer. Yuzu immediately smiled too brightly. "Yeah! I'm fine! Just got lost thinking! Haha," she laughed nervously. She hadn't even heard him coming.

"Yer lyin'," he said simply, sitting in the swing next to hers. His frown deepened, and his eyebrows seemed to meet in the middle. "I'm Ichimaru Gin," he introduced himself, suddenly grinning broadly. Yuzu stared at him, slightly confused. His smile looked sly and genuine all at once, and she reminded her of a snake, and yet… she felt she could _trust_ him. She gave a small smile. "I'm Kurosaki Yuzu. Pleased to meet you!"

Gin's smile grew even more, then he turned away from Yuzu. "Ya come here often?"  
"S-sometimes, sure. But not this late, usually," Yuzu stuttered, surprised by the question.  
"I'm new in town – livin' with m'aunt an' uncle now. I don' remember much, but they say m'parents an' I was in a car crash or some'in. Anyway, I don' know the place too well, an' I think ya can show me around." Gin turned to look at Yuzu again.  
She felt awful – he had lost both parents, and didn't even remember them. "I'm sorry," she whispered, touching his shoulder. She couldn't help but think of her mother.  
"Me too," he replied.

"Gin? _Gin_!"

"That's m'aunt," Gin slurred, cocking his head at Yuzu. "Gotta go. See ya at school tomorrow? Looks like I got some'in from the same place at home."  
Yuzu smiled. "Sure! See you there!"

The silver-haired boy grinned, then stood, calling impatiently to his aunt that he was 'comin' already'. Yuzu giggled to herself.

Ichimaru Gin had just made her day.

* * *

Yuzu had woken up with her hopes high again the next morning – she made breakfast for herself and her father, but she doubted he'd be up until much later. So she wrote a little note saying she'd put his breakfast in the fridge, he should just warm it up. Yuzu signed it with her name, and a little heart next to it before heading out to school.

She barely made it into the school grounds before it started. "Heeeyyyy…. Isn't it our little Yuzu?! Don't you have homework answers you owe us?" one of the popular girls called, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder and sauntering over to Yuzu. "Well? You _did_ do your homework, you _always_ do it, and you know what happens when you don't share with us…" she sang, her fifth-one-this-month boyfriend coming closer, ready to help shove Yuzu into her locker whether she helped them or not. Yuzu smiled nervously, stumbling back a step from the girl – what was her name, again? – and right into someone else. She spun around, apology already on her lips when she looked up at the taller Ichimaru Gin, scowling briefly at the other girl and her boyfriend. "Ain't y'all a friendly bunch? We're goin', Yuzu," Gin smiled slyly, taking the stunned girl by the arm and pulling her away.  
"Hey! You can't just take her away like –"

Her voice faded away as Yuzu struggled to keep up with Gin's longer, faster strides.

"Uh-uhm…" Yuzu stammered, stumbling to a halt when Gin pulled her around to face him.  
"Ya know, I'll tell you some'in. I feel like I ought'a look out for ya, like you're some'un _worth_ protectin'. Ya hear me? I'll be lookin' out for ya, from now on. No matter what. Ya hear?"

Yuzu blinked. No-one had ever put it that way to her before. She blushed. "Ok, Gin."


End file.
